The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-02
TILE @B0LDEST YET
ATTEMPTED TRAIN ROBBERY
At Fort Wayne, Indinnu--TouEh Chnrnctc,e
y honrd tho Sleeping Chr Of tho Trnln,
N3 but nre Repulsed by tho Employees
ft a OF the Road ard Passengers,

PlrrsnuRan, Feb. LA singularly bold
attempt was made by FIVE robbers at Fort
Wayne, Ind, last night, to rob the passeu.
gers. In the aleeper attached to The Ex.
press train on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne
4 Chicago railroad, which left Chicago at
S:l5 Pm. yesterday, arriving in Fort
Wayne at li:l0 last night. The details
Of the attempted train robbing show a
method Of procedure on the part Of the
robbers as ingenioua au any effort in that
line that has occurred on any OF tho West.
ern railroads where such affairs sre OF ire.
quent occurrence. .ti '5G5. 4
Fort Wayne, although town Of 50 GOO
inhabitants, is badly behind the times in
The way Of depot. The P, F. W.&O.
railroad and tho Grand Rapids 4 Indiana
railroad use the same tracks running nast
and within a few feet of long rambling
structure called depot, and Consisting n
q few. waiting rooms and m eating ho,,se'
There are no gates or bars to obstrnct In.
greco upon the depot platform or 10 inter.
pose any obstacles to mounting the car
steps.
Az general thing, when through
train arrives, crowd at tho depot jumps
on the Rleepers and pass through with
necks craned to zoe who's aboard. There.
toro there Ia no check whatever on such
an attempt on the pockets and perhaps
the lives OF the passeugsrs as occurred
last night. The train arrived at the Fort
Wayne depot at II 10 and stopped twenty
minutes for q change OF engines and
.Iainmen, Crestline being The next
similar stopping place, Tho train had
barely halted when an unusually hard
looking man, arrayed in greasy clothes.
with red beard and slouch hat, an.
tered the front door OF the sleeper. in
which was Mr. ". G. Miller, the commits.
sion merchant OF No. 1929 Liberty street.
this city. Il-1l ::
Mr.. Miller Was seen this morning and
gave the following account OF the affair:
THE hard citizen begged a quarter Of
every one in the car, saying he wanted A
n'ghte lodging very badly. He hadn't
received anything when he came to me.
| reached into my pocket and pulled out
handiul OF coin, trotn which | took a
nickel aud handed 1t to the tramp, at tho
same time telling him that be would prob.
ably spend it for beer. l don't think he
got anything from any oue else in the car
owing to bis strong breath and repuls;ye
appearance. He had not left tho car over
minute when two men appeared at tho
back end OF the car and three men at The
front end. a brakeman was also at each
door aud q ecutlle commenced at each end
Of the Cur while the trsinmen shouted for
the police. The passengers were aroused.
oi course, and the ladies on board
screamed, The men, including my
sell, grabbed Tor our satchels. I
never carry revolver, but had one with
me, loaned by Pittsburgh official and
man near me also had revolver. We
planted ourselves back to back in the isle
OF tho car and made up our minds to take
hand in the row II the rufiians got in,
The hrakemen were being very roughly
handled when tho crowd commenced to
gather, and the robbers became alarmed
and Jumped of the car. One oft the brake
men D. his coat torn of him, and said
that the man had weapons but had no
chance to use them. We were OF course
much relieved by the disappearance OF tho
men, and l am sure never saw five
tougher characters. AS they didn't even
get inside the car, they OF course obtained
nothing. | have no doubt that tho men
who passed through the car did so in
order to locate the rolls carried bv tho
passengera. l think that the robbers
would have received warm reception.
The trainmeu who were concerned in
the affair left the train at Crestline, and
the men who arrived this morning on tho
train knew nothing OF the occurrence. Tho Z
railroad officials deny that the story has
foundation in fact, but as Mr. Miller was
there his story is 10 he credited.
General Manager Baldwin was seen this
afternoon. He said.that up to noon no re-
port oiauch occurrence had been received
at headquarters in this city. .55sTl@ M.